Warsaw Pact: Chilling chapter from the past

[2RHPZ]

Chilling chapter from the past

By John O'Sullivan
December 4, 2005



.........

That sensitive point is one reason the Warsaw Pact plan was presented at the time as "a counterattack" to a NATO invasion. The armed forces of communist Poland had to be given at least the fig leaf of an argument they were defending their country against a militaristic West. But the military-***-political realities of the day were of a pessimistic West retreating before Soviet advances on several fronts.
Massive SS-20 missiles were being planted in Eastern Europe and aimed at Western cities. (The red mushroom clouds show their destinations.) "Peace rallies" throughout Western Europe, partly funded by the KGB, were frightening governments into rejecting installation of America's deterrent missiles. A world-class Soviet navy was being built up. The Kremlin, about to invade Afghanistan, boasted that the international "correlation of forces" was tipping in its favor. And U.S. President Carter was still bemoaning our "inordinate fear of communism."
A NATO invasion of Eastern Europe therefore was not really thinkable. The Warsaw Pact's "counterattack" looks very much like a plan for a first-strike invasion of Western Europe. One tipoff: Neither Britain nor France is attacked in the war game. This is a plan for a lightning dash to the Rhine followed by a cease-fire, an offer of negotiations, and a "peace settlement" allowing the Soviet Union to swallow all Germany and dominate a nominally independent Franco-British rump of NATO.
............

Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20051203-090532-1328r.htm)

[artistoli]

I've always suspected that the 'peace' demonstrations and anti-American demonstrations in the UK during the Cold War were at least in part instigated by the Soviets.

[Apathy]

They used the public's ignorance against them. Clever.

[Mr.K]

I've always suspected that the 'peace' demonstrations and anti-American demonstrations in the UK during the Cold War were at least in part instigated by the Soviets.
I agree with you and I hope you also suspect that the "color" revolutions and anti-communist movements in the 1980-90s and all the human rights/democracy funds were/are also in part instigated by USA.

I wish the author of the article would explain to me what is the purpose of an invasion if all the major european cities would be destroyed.
If USSR really wanted a war they would have never pulled black from Cuba.
And a nuclear war just to get the Western Germany? The author's interpretation really doesn't make any sense.
And precise tactial weapons? So i guess NATO nukes are ok and nature friendly?


Soviet Union brutally occupied their country. They would have died to maintain their enslavement.
Oh boy soviet soldiers eating polish babies again, and making campfires from polish churches, this never gets old.

[asch]

Yup, we Krazy Evil Ruskies wanna destroy all good guys!! (and their dogs too!)
Fail this time, but we meet again, padavan!

seriously, give me a reason to "reveal" those plans now. any man with brains can understand that all countries with big (nuclear) cojones have equal (nearby) plans. so, that only regular shYt that polish gov. throw at russia direction.
normal everyday squeaking, nuttin new...

[Brzeczyszczykiewicz]

seriously, give me a reason to "reveal" those plans now.
And why we should keep them secret? WP ceased to exist 15 years ago and these plans are just history now...

[ENSIGN FOREVER]

....maybe the Euros may want to revisit the fact that those crazy tarts that were hanging outside of Greenham Common were actually a bunch of looneys that were too stupid and gullible to realize that they had become willing pawns of the Reds.:slap:

[asch]

And why we should keep them secret? WP ceased to exist 15 years ago and these plans are just history now...
come on, it would be ok, if some historian or another archive rat dig this facts out, but defence minister?
looks like a most of the current gov want to be in showbiz, and make a certain actions to self express.

What is needed is a Europewide Truth and Reconciliation Commission of scholars and elder statesmen of undoubted democratic loyalty, who would hold hearings and report not just on the crimes of communism -- class genocide, mass murder and widespread torture -- in Eastern and Central Europe, but also on those in the Soviet Union itself and even on the culpable failures of Western statesmen to halt the culprits. - yea, interesting part. then, maybe we need a comission for WW1&2, or maybe even for crusades? "brave dissidents", huh. bunch of escapists.

peace, btw, that's not flammable article, kinda funny.

[Lanton]

Remember that saying; that NATO and the Soviets would fight WWIII to the last German?

[Atlantic Friend]

....maybe the Euros may want to revisit the fact that those crazy tarts that were hanging outside of Greenham Common were actually a bunch of looneys that were too stupid and gullible to realize that they had become willing pawns of the Reds.:slap:

French President François Mitterrand summed up the situation in the 1980s saying that the pacifists were in the West, but the missiles were in the East.

[Atlantic Friend]

come on, it would be ok, if some historian or another archive rat dig this facts out, but defence minister?
looks like a most of the current gov want to be in showbiz, and make a certain actions to self express.
- yea, interesting part. then, maybe we need a comission for WW1&2, or maybe even for crusades? "brave dissidents", huh. bunch of escapists.

peace, btw, that's not flammable article, kinda funny.

The plans have no meaning : the weapons have changed, the troop deployment have changed, the challenges have changed, the stakes have changed, the countries' geopolitical posture has changed. The times, they have been a-changing.

Why wouldn't they release the plans, to signal that it's now time to think about different conflicts, different challenges, different postures ?

[b.scheller]

The casualty in occupying Denmark (by the Polish forces) was expected to be as high as 75% at the height of the Cold War. Pretty pointless for such a small state, although with a pretty big strategic importance.

[Asheren]

They just published documents saying something that was already known. I just liked some russian media reaction saying that documents were fake.

[joedirt]

this is from the washington times reverend moon's paper does anyone take this paper seriously?

[Brzeczyszczykiewicz]

The casualty in occupying Denmark (by the Polish forces) was expected to be as high as 75% at the height of the Cold War. Pretty pointless for such a small state, although with a pretty big strategic importance.
That's the expected overall casualty ratio. Don't forget that besides attacking and occupying Denmark the Polish Front was also tasked with an attack on Western Germany/ Netherlands/Belgium alongside the North Sea coast.